5 steps to stage your property for sale
The property market has never been better, well at least not since 2013. Thanks to the world-wide covid-pandemic prices have gone up and are going up. So if you are planning to sell your house now is the time. However, even in a seller’s market like this, it is important to prep your house for sale if you want to achieve top sales prices. Read on to learn 5 steps to stage your property for sale.
De-clutter
Less is more. When talking about property sales less of everything is more money. This virtually means less deco, less clutter, fewer towels in storage, fewer photos on the sideboard, even less food in the pantry. It might sound surprising but wherever there is clutter a buyer subconsciously thinks there is a lack of space and a lack of storage. As every buyer wants to call a clean home his own it is important to make your property feel this way. Do you think he knows very well it is just your collection of books, cat figurines, records, cars, cards? Psychologists and market researchers alike have proven differently: The average buyer does not have the ability to abstract and imagine when they inspect properties. Their thinking is rather simple: What you see is what you get. Mess and collector’s items included. Click here to see read our top 5 on how to declutter your kitchen easily.
Lighting
Let there be light! Nothing generates space like a light. Light makes a space come alive and look fresh. Even more so science says light and mood, mental health are directly connected. Therefore if you want your potential buyers to be happy, when they are strolling through your halls, turn the lights on. Make sure there is plenty of natural light and decorative light alike. Remove dark curtains, give the windows a clean, and install big bright mirrors to reflect and spread the daylight into the rooms. Ensure the bulbs are functioning and bright. Add some light to dark corners and walkways and set highlights to accentuate the sweet spots in your home.
Street appeal
It does not matter how pretty your house is from the inside. If it looks like a fixer-upper on the outside, it won’t sell. At least not for top dollars. The potential buyers will drive by before they make an appointment to view. And even after the viewing if they liked it they are likely to come back and check it out from the outside again. Do I really like it? Would I be happy living here? How does it feel to come home to this place? The answer to these questions has to be positive. Yes, I love it. This looks great. Hence you need to clean up the outside. Give it a coat of paint. Literally paint the outside of the bricks, plaster, doors, and window frames. Make it look pretty and fresh. Declutter the front yard, mow the lawn and cut back the trees and bushes. If there is a fence, make sure it shines fresh and bright too. A front gate makes sure it opens nice and smoothly. Oil the hinges and if needed move them off the ground.
Paint
This should really read, paint, paint, paint, and paint. Nothing has as much effect on the success and price of your property sale as paint. Paint your walls, give them a nice fresh coat of white, grey, or cream colors. Remove all scuff marks and scratches. Make your house look new with a simple coat of fresh paint. And whilst you are at it: Don’t forget the built-in cabinetry. Nothing dates a house more than yellowing kitchen or bathroom cabinets. The only thing that is worse than yellowing cabinetry is peeling vinyl cabinets. The kitchen and bathroom are the heart of the house. But more so they are also the most expensive rooms to renovate. So if your potential buyer sees any fault in your kitchen or bathroom, all alarm bells will go off. The good news is, it is very affordable to get your cabinetry re-painted. For around $3000 you can get the normal size kitchen repainted to make it look brand-new.
Depersonalisation
The widespread canvas with the favourite wedding shot, the collage, that your friends made for your 40th birthday, pictures of kids and grandkids, the best holiday shots. The collections of cars and dolphins… This list could continue forever. But to keep a long story short: All of these items need to go. The potential buyer wants to see himself in the property. Personal items of any kind are simply not helpful for this. You want your property to look like a perfectly appealing house but not like your home. So given that you want to sell and move either way: Start packing early and start with all personal items that aren’t desperately needed while selling the house. This includes the embroidered towels in the bathroom or the personalized mugs in the kitchen cupboard – no kidding.
Roundup
The bottom line is you want your property to look as bright and new and neutral as possible so potential buyers can picture themselves in it. By following our 5 steps to stage your property for sale, you make sure that all the boxes are ticked and you get the best price for your house.
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